Episode 1594 (31 March 1998)
Synopsis Dot tells Nigel she's worried, but he'll think she's stupid. He says he won't, and Dot tells him she thinks she's being followed, but she can't prove it, as it was more of a feeling. Nigel tells her she's not being followed, and she is just nervous because she's inherited a large sum of money recently so it's understandable. Mark and Ruth are at each other's throats every time they meet. Pauline talks to Mark on the stall and says she thinks she was being watched when she came back from Dot's house, and there was someone watching her house. Nigel overhears and places more credibility in Dot's story now. Mick tells Lenny and Huw he's found a new, bigger flat, and they immediately ask when Lola's moving in. Mick makes it quite clear that it's none of their damn business if he asks her or not. Alex comes into the café and Kathy asks if he's OK, because Jeff told her about the Father. Alex snaps that he's fine, and Kathy says she's here if he ever wants to talk. He's furious with Jeff for telling her about the Father, and walks out, bumping into Sarah again, who pesters him some more, so he tells her to go and find someone of her own age to talk to instead of always coming to him. She goes off sulkily. Alex then comes back later and asks Kathy if he can talk to her. She says no initially as she's alone in the café, so can't leave it, but Alex looks pathetic so she takes pity on him and throws out her only customer and closes up. Kathy rushes after Alex and says she can talk now, and they go home. Alex goes on about how he had hoped to bring God to people around here but all his achievements have been practical and he needn't have been a vicar for them - he could have set up the refuge and hostel if he had been a social worker or something instead. Kathy says he's wrong and cites Sarah saying that if he had not been a vicar she wouldn't have come to him. He says he could have advised her just the same, and no-one looks beyond the dog collar to him as a person - Kathy doesn't. Kathy sees where all this is leading now, and says it isn't true. Alex says it's too high a price to pay if he can't live happily, and he asks her what she would say if he weren't a vicar, and would she give him another chance then. Kathy says no, but it's all unresolved, as we know what a hopeless person she is at making up her mind. Tony and Simon are brought together by their common dislike for the impending wedding of their parents. Tiffany joins them from the other side of the bar telling Tony what a terrible time their mother had at Terry's hands, as he was a violent abusive drunk, and she couldn't just keep pretending she walked into doors. They all agree tacitly that Irene is after Terry's money and that the idea is a total disaster. Barry gives Roy the 3,000 pounds he gets from the building society after the sale of his flat. He's still asking around for jobs, and even asks George. George is too sharp, and says that if he's asking him, then he must have already tried asking everyone else first, and they must all have turned him down. Barry says that he didn't ask George first, but would have done... George says it doesn't matter, that's not why he won't give him a job, it's because he's incompetent, careless and more interested in blowing all the money than making it. Barry wanders off dejectedly. Ricky asks Bianca out for a meal and night out but she refuses, saying she has too much work to do. She agrees reluctantly to go to the Vic for a quick drink, and when Ricky chats to Huw and Lenny, she gets upset because she's "under so much pressure" with the costumes. Ricky says it's annoying having all the fabric and thread all over the house, and Bianca flies off the handle, saying that she's always lived with his dirty oily overalls, and having swarfega in the bathroom cabinet instead of normal things like moisturiser. She flounces off in a huff, while Huw and Lenny look on in astonishment at her enormous tantrum from the minutest provocation. They persuade Ricky to play an April Fool on her and say it'll get rid of the dresses once and for all as well. As Lenny puts it "What can possibly go wrong?" Ian thanks Kathy for last night and tells her the good news about the hitman. He says he was going to come and ask her, but the café was closed for some reason, and is everything OK? Anyway, he went ahead and did it, and he hopes she's pleased: he presents her with a one way ticket for South Africa, just in case she needed a little push to do what's best for her. He adds that he'll be fine now, whatever happens in the custody battle. She's thrilled, although still not totally convinced about the move. Dot puts her rubbish out late at night, as Nigel locks up the video shop and looks thoughtful. He goes off to hang around outside Dot's, and finds Nick. Nigel tells him to go away, or he will call the police - he knows Nick is still on the run, and if he bothers Dot, Nigel says he will call the police immediately. Nick sneers at his hard-man act, but takes note, and says he'll be back though, and when he is, Nigel had better watch out. Credits Main cast *Dot Cotton - June Brown *Nigel Bates - Paul Bradley *Mark Fowler - Todd Carty *Ruth Fowler - Caroline Paterson *Pauline Fowler - Wendy Richard *Mick McFarlane - Sylvester Williams *Lenny Wallace - Desune Coleman *Huw Edwards - Richard Elis *Alex Healy - Richard Driscoll *Kathy Mitchell - Gillian Taylforth *Sarah Hills - Daniela Denby-Ashe *Tony Hills - Mark Homer *Simon Raymond - Andrew Lynford *Tiffany Mitchell - Martine McCutcheon *Ricky Butcher - Sid Owen *Barry Evans - Shaun Williamson *Roy Evans - Tony Caunter *George Palmer - Paul Moriarty *Nick Cotton - John Altman *Bianca Butcher - Patsy Palmer *Ian Beale - Adam Woodyatt Category:Episode Category:1998 Episodes